Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Horror
Monthly median sales (top 30)
$47,000
The median book price
$11.99
Bestseller's daily sales
550
50th book's daily sales
46
Average number of pages per book
416
Monopoly/Olygopoly detected
Yes
Performance tracking
Competitiveness
Volume sales
Book price
Volatility
New releases
Self published
Matching KDP categories
juvenile > fiction > science fiction
73.03%
juvenile > fiction > science & technology
67.08%
juvenile > fiction > fantasy & magic
67.08%
juvenile > fiction > religious > christian > science fiction
63.25%
Keyword requirement
horror, science fiction, dystopian
Best selling keywords
Median title & subtitle length is 5 words:
- Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy)
- Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth: Book 1
- Twilight: The Twilight Saga, Book 1
- Once Upon a Broken Heart
- Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy)
- Indie success
-
20%
- Volatility
- New releases
- KDP Select
90%
25%
6.67%
Extract of the best seller list's front page
Front-page bestsellers:
Book title | Author | Publisher | Absolute rank | Monthly sales volume | Price | Amazon stars | Amazon reviews | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy) | Lauren Roberts | Self published | N/A | $554 | $19.79 | 0 | |
2 | Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth: Book 1 | Kristen Ciccarelli | Self published | N/A | $419 | $14.98 | 2,838 | |
3 | Twilight: The Twilight Saga, Book 1 | Stephenie Meyer | Listening Library | N/A | $810 | $28.95 | 37,247 | |
4 | The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, 1) | Holly Black | Self published | N/A | $195 | $6.99 | 44,893 | |
5 | Once Upon a Broken Heart | Stephanie Garber | “Garber, best known for her lush and poetic Caraval series, will no doubt have readers flocking to this new series. The potential for coming installments is huge, as the glimmers of a larger world introduced in this volume are sure to stoke reader curiosity.” ― | 78 | $46,046 | $2.99 | 17,252 | |
6 | Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy) | Lauren Roberts | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | 112 | $115,920 | $9.00 | 14,153 | |
7 | Powerless | Lauren Roberts | Simon & Schuster Audio | 122 | $230,352 | $18.74 | 14,153 | |
8 | Powerful: A Powerless Story | Lauren Roberts | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | 321 | $77,551 | $11.99 | 154 | |
9 | Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy) | Lauren Roberts | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers | 377 | $74,926 | $12.99 | 14,153 | |
10 | Once upon a Broken Heart | Stephanie Garber | Macmillan Audio | 407 | $96,696 | $17.71 | 17,252 | |
11 | Coraline | Neil Gaiman | HarperAudio | 408 | $81,208 | $14.95 | 19,938 | |
12 | The Cruel Prince: The Folk of the Air, Book 1 | Holly Black | Hachette Audio | 572 | $81,587 | $20.52 | 44,893 | |
13 | Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth Duology, Book 1 | Kristen Ciccarelli | Listening Library | 595 | $82,481 | $21.66 | 2,838 | |
14 | Midnight Sun | Stephenie Meyer | Hachette Audio | 656 | $98,827 | $29.17 | 682 | |
15 | Tethered (The Binding Chronicles Book 1) | Elayna R. Gallea | Self published | 1,063 | $9,272 | $3.99 | 3,261 |
Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy)
Lauren Roberts
Paedyn and Kai battle with duty and desire in this highly anticipated second installment in the sizzling and epic romantic fantasy trilogy that’s packed with spicy tension and edge-of-your-seat betrayal.The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil… After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to. Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice. Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts—and the battle between duty and desire is deadly. Read more
Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth: Book 1
Kristen Ciccarelli
"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history. I couldn't look away." - Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Champion of FateEnemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.“Enchanting and deeply romantic, Heartless Hunter drew me in with the first sentence and left me breathless by the last. A story that unfolds like a spell, and one that is destined to capture your heart.” - Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals Read more
Twilight: The Twilight Saga, Book 1
Stephenie Meyer
About three things I was certain. First, Edward was a vampire.Second, there was a part of him, and I didn't know how dominant that part might be, that thirsted for my blood.And Third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife, between desire and danger.Deeply sensuous and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite. Read more
The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, 1)
Holly Black
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue. Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences. In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. Read more
Once Upon a Broken Heart
Stephanie Garber
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART marks the launch of a new series from Stephanie Garber about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever afterFor as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings . . . until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game — and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy.Also by Stephanie Garber:The Caraval Series- Caraval- Legendary- Finale Read more
Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy)
Lauren Roberts
A New York Times bestseller! This sparkling edition includes a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series! Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be. Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity. Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done. When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary. Read more
Powerless
Lauren Roberts
A New York Times bestseller! This sparkling edition includes a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series! Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other. She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be. Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity. Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done. When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary. Read more
Powerful: A Powerless Story
Lauren Roberts
Set during the time of the New York Times bestseller Powerless, fan favorite Adena gets a story all her own in this captivating novella as she attempts to survive on the streets of Loot…and falls for a mysterious—and dangerous—Elite.Adena and Paedyn have always been inseparable. Fate brought them together when they were young, but friendship ensured they would always protect each other and the home they built in the slums of Loot. But now Paedyn—an Ordinary—has been selected for the Purging Trials, which means almost certain death. Now alone in Loot, Adena must fend for herself. After attempting to steal, she’s rescued by a mysterious man from the market. Mak’s shadowy past and secretive power set him apart from the other low-level Elites of Loot. And as the pair team up to see their loved ones before the Trials, the quest tests their loyalty, their love, and their lives. This novella also includes a special extended teaser to Reckless—the exciting sequel to Powerless! Read more
Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy)
Lauren Roberts
A New York Times bestseller! This sparkling edition includes a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series! Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be. Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity. Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done. When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary. Read more
Once upon a Broken Heart
Stephanie Garber
Once Upon a Broken Heart marks the launch of a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber "Soler embodies a fairy-tale world full of vibrant characters with unique voices . . . This sultry fantasy will leave listeners guessing to the very end." —AudioFile MagazineFor as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings…until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy.... A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books Read more
Coraline
Neil Gaiman
In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only it's different...At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself. Read more
The Cruel Prince: The Folk of the Air, Book 1
Holly Black
By number-one New York Times best-selling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him - and face the consequences. In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. Read more
Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth Duology, Book 1
Kristen Ciccarelli
"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history. I couldn't look away." - Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Champion of FateEnemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is. Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for. Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting? Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love. “Enchanting and deeply romantic, Heartless Hunter drew me in with the first sentence and left me breathless by the last. A story that unfolds like a spell, and one that is destined to capture your heart.” - Rebecca Ross, New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals Read more
Midnight Sun
Stephenie Meyer
Number one best-selling author Stephenie Meyer makes a triumphant return to the world of Twilight with this highly anticipated companion: the iconic love story of Bella and Edward told from the vampire's point of view.When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, listeners can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions and brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love.An instant number one New York Times best seller An instant number one USA Today best seller An instant number one Wall Street Journal best seller An instant number one IndieBound best seller Apple Audiobook August Must-Listens Pick"People do not want to just read Meyer's books; they want to climb inside them and live there." (Time)"A literary phenomenon." (New York Times) Read more
Tethered (The Binding Chronicles Book 1)
Elayna R. Gallea
What could be worse than an arranged marriage to a vampire prince? When Luna is sold into marriage to the Prince of Darkness on her twenty-first birthday, she thinks she knows what to expect. Arranged marriages happen all the time, right? Wrong. No one could have prepared her for the reality of being married to the vampire prince.Ever since the day he was Made, Sebastian has been living according to Queen Marguerite’s rules. After all, he’s only alive because of her. When she orders him to marry and Bind himself to Luna, a human hailing a neighboring kingdom, he has no choice. He agrees to the marriage but never expects to feel anything for her.When their Binding Ceremony goes awry, and they are magically Tethered, everything is thrown into upheaval. Unable to leave each other’s presence, they must learn to live with each other. Or die.Tethered is an arranged marriage high fantasy romance and it is filled with forced proximity, magical bindings, vampires, and world-building.Tethered, Tormented, and Treasured should be read in order. There is a complete arc and a happy ending at the end of Treasured. Troubled takes place after Treasured and follows another couple.Tethered takes place in the same world as Of Earth and Flame and A Game of Love and Betrayal. It can be enjoyed on its own or alongside The Ithenmyr Chronicles and The Choosing Chronicles. NOTE: This series is upper YA. There are some instances of violence, language, and mature situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up. Read more
Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth: Book 1
Kristen Ciccarelli
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history. I couldn't look away." - Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Champion of FateEnemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.“Enchanting and deeply romantic, Heartless Hunter drew me in with the first sentence and left me breathless by the last. A story that unfolds like a spell, and one that is destined to capture your heart.” - Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals Read more
New Moon: The Twilight Saga, Book 2
Stephenie Meyer
None
The unthinkable has happened, Fallon Bane has gone dark.As hard as Fallon tries to control her power, it only gets stronger. In a fit of desperation she asks for help from the most unlikely person and is wickedly betrayed in the worst way possible.But there has always been a bright spot in Fallon’s life, someone who can reach her even when others can’t.Ariyon Madden must decide just how far he’s willing to go to save the girl he loves and the people he has pledged to protect. For the Nightling War approaches, and it’s more horrifying than anyone could have imagined.Together Ariyon and Fallon must give all that they are to save the people of The Gilded City.The final book in the stunning romantic fantasy trilogy by Leia Stone. Read more
Long Way Down
Jason Reynolds
“An intense snapshot of the chain reaction caused by pulling a trigger.” —Booklist (starred review) “Astonishing.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A tour de force.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) A Newbery Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Honor Book A Printz Honor Book A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner for Young Adult Literature Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award An Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner An Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2017 A Vulture Best YA Book of 2017 A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017 An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds’s electrifying novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.A cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer A tool for RULE Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES. And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if Will gets off that elevator. Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds. Read more
Nightbane (The Lightlark Saga Book 2)
Alex Aster
The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster’s instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart. Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates. Read more